Remote control device



1934- w. SHAKESPEARE, JR 3 REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE I Filed Feb. 9, 1933 Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE William Shakespeare,

Jr., Kalamazoo, Mich.,

assignor to Shakespeare Products Company,

Kalamazoo, Mich.

Application February 9,

12 Claims.

The main object of this invention is to provide a remote control which is well adapted for furnaces, is very easily installed, effective and noiseless in operation and not likely to get out of repair or become inoperative.

A further object is to provide a structure having these advantages, which is very economical in its parts.

Objects pertaining to details and economies of the invention will definitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of the invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a furnace installation equipped with my improved remote control, the parts associated with the control being shown mainly in conventional form.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the control, the transmission elements being partially broken away.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, the attached ends only of the transmission elements being shown.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line 4-4 of Figs. 2, 3 and 5.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 55 of Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section on a line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a front elevation of the clamping member.

In the accompanying drawing, 1 represents a portion of a building, 2 a hot air furnace having inlet or draft damper 3 and check damper 4 in the smoke flue 5.

This improved control device comprises a cylindrical casing or housing member 6 having a front wall 7 with a central opening 8 therein. This casing is preferably a sheet metal stamping although it may be molded of bakelite or like material if desired. The casing is provided with attaching ears 9.

The front wall '7 has an inwardly struck or extending annular bead 10. The edge of the opening 8 is preferably flared slightly outward to provide a seat for the handpiece 11 which constitutes a cover for the opening. This handpiece is preferably provided with ear-like grip portions 12 at each end and with a pointer 13. Within the casing is a drum consisting of a grooved rim 14 and web 15 having a central flanged opening 16, the flange extending outwardly centrally of the opening 8 in the casing.

The handpiece is provided with a central face 1933. Serial No. 655,887

plate 117 having lugs 17 which extend through The with its web in engagement with the annular bead 10. The face plate is adapted for use as a name plate and conceals the slots 118 in the handle.

The transmission elements 19 are formed of resilient wire and are connected to the drum by providing inturned ends 20 which are arranged through holes 21 in the periphery of the drum. These ends are also passed through the instruck loop or strap 22 on the web disposed in alinement with the holes. The periphery of the drum is grooved for receiving the wires. The wires tend to straighten out and thereby hold themselves in frictional engagement with the casing and do not hug the drum. The wires also constitute spring members acting to hold the drum centered and in adjusted position. These transmission elements are oppositely disposed around the drum and passed through holes in the casing, the holes not being illustrated.

The drum is provided with a pair of stops 23 coacting with a stop 24 on the clamping member 124 to limit the rotative movement of the drum. The wires 19 are the transmission elements of Bowden tube devices indicated generally by the numeral 25, that is, the wires reciprocate in bendable sheaths which constitute supports for the wires, as is well understood in the Bowden type of transmission.

The inner ends of the sheaths 25 are clamped to the Wall by the clamping member 124 which has a screw opening 126 registering with the opening of the lower attaching ear 9 or the passage of the attaching screw 127. The stop 24 passes through an opening 128 in the wall of the casing 6 so that by removing the clamping member 124, the drum may be rotated as desired within the casing during installation.

One of the transmission elements in a furnace installation leads to the draft damper 3 and the other to the check damper 4 so that when the drum is rotated in one direction, counter-clockwise in the installation illustrated, the draft damper is opened and the check closed. Rotation in the opposite direction or clockwise direction reverses the opening and closing of these dampers. I

This type of device is very desirable where it is desired to transmit power a considerable distance and indirectly, or to non-alined parts. My improved control device is very simple and economical in its parts and the parts'are easily assembled. The device is easily operated and at the same time there is sufiicient friction imparted by the transmission elements coacting with the drum and casing to hold the drum in its adjusted position, even when against considerable load. This avoids the use of springs or detents and locking means.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in an embodiment which I have found very practical. I have not attempted the illustration of certain embodiments and adaptations which I contemplate, as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt the same as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V

1. In a control device, the combination of a cylindrical casing having a front wall provided with a central opening and an inwardly projecting annular bead, a drum disposed in said casing and comprising a grooved rim and a web provided with a central outwardly flanged opening, said rim having a pair of openings therein and said web having a loop struck inwardly therefrom adjacent said openings, resilient wire transmission elements oppositely disposed about said rim and having their ends engaged in said openings in said rim and with said loop, said casing having openings through which said wires are disposed, said transmission elements having frictional engagement with the periphery of said housing member for retaining said drum centered and in its adjusted positions, a handpiece constituting a cover for said opening in said casing and having spaced holes, and a face plate provided with lugs extending through said holes and connected to the web of the drum whereby the drum is rotatably supported in engagement with said annular bead of said casing.

2. In a control device, the combination of a cylindrical casing having a front wall provided with a central opening, a drum disposed in said casing and comprising a grooved rim and a web, said rim having a pair of openings therein and said web having a loop struck inwardly therefrom adjacent said opening, resilient wire transmission elements oppositely disposed about said rim and having their ends engaged in said openings in said rim and with said loop, said casing having openings through which said wires are disposed, said transmission elements having frictional engagement with the periphery of said housing member for centering and retaining said drum in its adjusted positions, a handpiece covering said central opening, and means connecting said handpiece to said web of said drum.

3. In a control device, the combination of a cylindrical casing having a front wall provided with a central opening, a drum disposed in said casing and comprising a grooved rim and a web, said rim having a pair of openings therein and said web having a loop struck inwardly therefrom adjacent said opening, resilient wire transmission elements oppositely disposed about said rim and having their ends engaged in said openings in said rim and with said loop, said casing having openings through which said wires are disposed, said transmission elements having frictional engagement with the periphery of said housing member for centering and retaining said drum in its adjusted positions, and a handpiece covering said opening and connected to said web of said drum.

4. In a control device, thecombination of a cylindrical casing having a front wall provided with a central opening and an inwardly projecting annular bead, a drum disposed in said casing and comprising a rim and a web provided with a central outwardly flanged opening, resilient wire transmission elements oppositely disposed about said rim and having their ends secured thereto, said casing having openings throughwhich said wires are disposed, and a handpiece constituting a cover for said opening in said casing, and a central face plate having lugs connected to the web of the drum at the base of said flanged opening thereof whereby the drum is rotatably supported in engagement with said annular bead of said casing.

5. In a control device, the combination of a cylindrical casing having a front wall provided with a central opening and an inwardly projecting annular bead, a drum disposed in said casing and comprising a rim and a web, spring wire transmission elements oppositely disposed about said rim and having their ends secured thereto, said casing having openings through which said wires are disposed, and a handpiece constituting a cover for said opening in said casing, and

means removably connecting said handpiece to.

the web of the drum whereby the drum is rotatably supported in engagement with said annular bead of said casing.

6.'In a control device, the combination of a cylindrical casing, a drum rotatable in said casing and comprising a grooved rim and a web, said rim having a pair of openings therein and said web having a loop struck inwardly therefrom adjacent said openings, spring wiretransmission elements disposed about said drum and having their ends engaged in said openings in said frame and with said loop, said housing having openings through which said wires are disposed, the wires having frictional engagement with the casing, and a handpiece for rotating said drum.

'7.'In a control device, the combination of a cylindrical casing, a drum rotatable insaidcasing and comprising a grooved rim and a web, said rim having a pair of openings therein and said web having a loop struck inwardly therefrom adjacent said openings, wire transmission elements disposed about said drum and having their ends engaged in said openings in said frame and with said loop, said housing having openings through which said wires are disposed, and a handpiece for rotating said drum.

8. In a control device, the combination of a cylindrical casing, a drum rotatable in said casing, a handpiece for rotating said drum withim said casing, and oppositely disposed resilient wire transmission elements on said drum having frictional engagement with the casing for rotatably supporting and retaining said drum in its adjusted position.

9. In a control device, the combination of a casing, a floating drum rotatable in said casing, and a resilient wire means disposed on said drum to project from said casing and having frictional engagement with the casing for rotatably supporting and retaining said drum in its adjusted position.

10. In a control device, the combination of a casing having a plate-like front wall, a central opening in said front wall, an outwardly extending flange around said central opening, an annular bead surrounding said opening on the inner side of said front wall, a cylindrical side wall, upper and lower attaching ears extending from said side wall, transmission wire openings in opposite sides of said side wall and a stop opening in the bottom of said side wall; a drum telescopically arranged within said casing and having a web bearing against said bead, an outer flange spaced from said side wall, a central opening in said web, a conical central flange extending through the central opening in said front wall, a pair of stops on said flange, a pair of transmission wire holes in said flange between said stops, a loop in said web in line with said transmission wire holes, a pair of opposed lug holes at the base of said central flange and a groove in said outer flange facing said side wall; a handpiece having a central depressed portion bearing against said outwardly extending front wall flange and covering the central opening in said front wall and a pair of lug holes registering with the lug holes in said web at the base of said central flange; a face plate disposed on said handpiece in said central depressed portion and having a pair of lugs extending through said lug holes and turned inwardly over said web to removably connect the parts in assembled relation; a pair of Bowden tubes having resilient transmission wires the exposed ends of which are arranged through the transmission wire openings in said side wall, in said groove, through the transmission wire holes in said flange and under the loop in said web; the resilient wires acting on said side wall to rotatably support said drum therein by virtue of their tendency to straighten out; and a clamping member for holding the inner ends of the Bowden tube sheaths in upwardly diverging relation and having a stop extending through the stop opening in said side wall for coaction with the stops on said flange and a screw hole registering with the screw hole in said lower ear.

11. In a control device, the combination of a casing having a plate-like front wall, a central opening in said front wall, an outwardly extending flange around said central opening, an annular bead surrounding said opening on the inner side of said front wall, a cylindrical side wall, upper and lower attaching ears extending from said side wall, transmission wire openings in opposite sides of said side wall and a stop opening in the bottom of said side wall, a drum telescopically arranged within said casing and having a web bearing against said bead, an outer flange spaced from said side wall, a central opening in said Web, a conical central flange extending through the central opening in said front wall, a pair of stops on said flange, a pair of transmission wire holes in said flange between said stops, :3. loop in said web in line with said transmission wire holes, a pair of opposed lugs holes at the base of said central flange and a groove in said outer flange facing said side wall; a handpiece having a central portion bearing against said outwardly extending front wall flange and covering the central opening in said front wall and a pair of lugs holes registering with the lug holes in said web at the base of said central flange; a face plate disposed on said handpiece and having a pair of lugs extending through said lug holes and turned inwardly over said web to removably connect the parts in assembled relation; a pair of Bowden tubes having resilient transmission wires the exposed ends of which are arranged through the transmission wire holes in said flange and under the loop in said web; and a clamping member for holding the inner ends of the Bowden tube sheaths and having a stop extending through the stop opening in said side wall for coaction with the stops on said flange.

12. In a control device, the combination of a casing having a side wall provided with a stop opening, a drum rotatable within said casing and having spaced stops, a pair of Bowden tubes having transmission wires the exposed ends of which are connected to said drum, and a clamping member for holding the sheaths of said Bowden tubes in fixed position relative to said casing and having a stationary stop extending through said stop opening for coaction with the stops on said drum.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, JR.

has 

